Sunday October 20, 2019
WADI MUSA, Jordan – With Petra, the great archeological site about a 15-minute walk from our hotel here, this experience will have to wait until Monday. We arrived here about 6:30 Sunday night and hope to get an early start to Petra in the morning.
The trek to get here is challenging at best but we managed with no chaos.
First, we left our apartment in Jerusalem before 9, caught the 274 bus and the tram to the City Hall stop. From there, we walked about 15 minutes to the Europcar location. When I only had my driver’s license and not a credit card as the main driver, Waynette was forced to use her credit card to secure the purchase. That put her on as a second driver and we were on the road by a little after 10 in the morning
We headed for Eilat and the border crossing with Jordan. That’s about a 300 kilometer drive and we penciled in about four hours. Heading east out of Jerusalem for about 25 kilometers, we made a right and hit route 90 that runs parallel to the Dead Sea. Interesting to note the water was an emerald green in some parts and we witnessed salt excavation operations in several locations.
About half-way, we stopped for lunch in a community of hotels and shops which sprang out of the desert. In a hurry, we poisoned ourselves with McDonald’s, something we vowed never to do. This was an emergency, we rationalized, and quickly resumed the journey.
Waynette took over for the final hour and guided us to the Rabin border crossing. To leave Israel, we had to pay 212 sheqels, or about $30 each. Since rental cars from Israel are not permitted in Jordan, we used a large parking lot to leave our car and walked over the border. Our documents were all in good order and passports stamped entering Jordan.
As soon as we crossed the border, the barrage started.
“Do you want a cab?” one guy shouted
“We need to go to Wadi Rum,” I replied. “Can you take us there?”
Quickly, he formed a huddle with about four others and designated a driver. Since we only had a backpack, that was flipped in the trunk and we took off for Wadi Rum near Petra. From the border, the driver took us into Aqaba, the port city in southern Jordan made famous by T. E. Lawrence and his daring raid against the Turks from the desert.
In a few words of English, he said another would drive us and he was finished for the day. Soon, he picked up the other guy who drove the original driver home
Then, off to Wada Musa.
“Wait,” the new driver said in his very limited English. “You said. Wadi Rum. Now it’s Wadi Musa?”
“Yes,” I said.
In no time, he was on his phone and began to speak in Arabic. Then, he hands the phone to me and gestures to speak. The guy in the other end said In English, “you want to go to Wadi Musa?”
“Yes,” I said. “We made a mistake.”
“Then it’s more. It’s 40 Jordanian dollars to Wadi Rum. It’s 55 to Wadi Musa; that’s further”
Agreeing to the price, we set off to Wadi Musa and within walking distance of the entrance to Petra. Along the way, the driver said his name is Basem and his “real” job is working as an accountant in Jordan’s agricultural department. His dream is to come to America, marry and have a family. At 31, Waynette told him about Lindsay and he immediately fell in love with her without seeing a picture. At once, he wanted to marry her and quickly move to America.
After a 2-hour ride, we arrived in Wadi Musa at dusk and Basem had difficulty finding The Petra Sky Hotel. In time, he found the place and in his best English wanted us to call him on Tuesday. We wants to drive us back to Aqaba.
He charged the 55 and we can get bus back for less than 10 Jordanian dollars each. The math here is rather simple.
Checking in at the hotel, we arranged for a second night because Petra is too vast for one day.
From the hotel, we sought dinner and settled on Al Wadi restaurant. There was a guy outside making fresh pita and that enticed us inside. We each ordered roasted chicken with rice and salad with a mint-flavored dressing, very Mediterranean.
Our waiter was Mohammad from Syria and very friendly. He invited us back tomorrow night and said we’d try and make it after walking around Petra all day.
“So what do you think about Turkey moving into Syria?” I asked him and guessed he was in his early 30s.
“Whatever happens in Syria is bad,” he laughed and walked away.
For Monday, it’s walking and suspect we’ll do around 20.000 steps. That’s reaching about 10 miles and hope it’s not quite that bad.
WEATHER- We’re expecting a great day for pictures on Monday. Clear skies and temps near 80
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